November 15 at the theater of Gramont, and for the first time gathered the three majors 2000s Hip-Hop crews.

Their common? Have always kept one foot in the land of battles and have committed at the same time the other foot in the world of choreographic creation.

Yes it is a form of achievement as in France, there is always the tendency to classify single and cram the things, people, arts.

Hip-Hop is not a dance, it is a movement with multiple expressions WHICH dance. In a country whose cultural politicy is entirely subject to the classically inspired contemporary dance, it’s a difficult idea to get across.

Choose to express themselves with our own language should seem obvious, what is the best way to express ourself with our own words, our own actions our own energy? Since the "discovery" of Hip-Hop by institutions, many choreographers, designers from this scene have been rejected, forced to assimilate other aesthetic and choreography codes, to channel their energy in a too tight corset?

Yes hip-hop artistic movements are are still young, clumsy, rough. Yes, the words are not the same, so the applauses and screams can occur DURING the show and the public is so different ...

The French Hip-Hop artistic movement is the guarantor of national identity since its inception. Facing the American founders of the movement, he took his artistic differences. Then he made his way patiently to be able to beat them in competitions in the early 2000s and become THE strong place of hip-hop in the world in terms of number of practitioners, events and creativity.

In Theater of Gramont on November 15, forget for a few hours that we are in the Battle Of The Year International, take things easy. The presence of these three companies is a CULTURAL event in a place dedicated to the culture, dance Hip-Hop is an art. Wanted Posse, Pockemon and Vagabond Crew invite you to explore choreographic creations Hip-Hop who sweat their origins ....

After years of friendship and mutual respect, Kareem becomes a full member of Vagabond Crew.

He is not a "guest" but a full-fledged Vagabond sharing with us now the weight of a history of artistic stances, human, victories and defeats, failures assumed together.

On several occasions Kareem gave us lessons in courage by taking positions on matters under the guise of dance, focused primarily on issues much stronger such as racism or outright hatred of the other.

Vagabond position as that of a majority of the crews on French relations with the United States and its "photocopies" has always been clear. The best way to meet the opponnents of the challenge and try to do better while maintaining a distinctive identity. In any case we have not been and will never be anti-American or anti Korean. We just want to defend our original vision of dance in particular and hip-hop in general: Challenging, losing, working hard, winning, to transcend and push the opponent within its limits, to prevent falling asleep in comfort all maintaining values and identity. This is the vision of Hip-Hop we stand, we believe that vision applies to life in general ...

Kareem has fully understood and has always shown its commitment to the French Hip-Hop scene and our group in particular.

Everybody knows Breakin' Convention. This year, our crew takes part in this tour throughout May. That is 14 dates. And as many workshops and exchanges that make us realize how much our art remains neglected in France.After a few days, the difference becomes clear in our mind, and this difference goes beyond dance. It actually unveils all the tensions due to a wrong perception of what the « street » is and finds itself thrown out in nowadays big nonsense that blithely mixes up the « quartiers » with immigration and Islam. In this context, how to assert oneself as a French Citizen, when one sometimes (well, often) descends from an immigrant family, and expresses an art coming from the streets, off the conventional tracks?Actually, in France, dance boils down to contemporary dance, and well, that is the problem. Thus, when the Vagabond Crew or others choose to express their original vision through a dance that is pure and raw, they are not taken seriously. It is as if the Lascaux painters weren’t worth the greatest painters.And yet, how to be more contemporary than hip-hop, that answers all the essential and chronic questions on positive assertiveness of identities, and the rich miscegenation coming from intercultural exchanges? What is the most respectful and best represents the deepest French values (even if for some, it all boils down to boloney and wine) ?Just like cinema, French hip-hop strives to guaranty the French cultural exception promoted by all our politicians. We have become the second Hip Hop stage after the U.S., our dancers are on top and win mayor world titles. It is been 40 years now since French hip hop is fighting for its art without being given any financial help, or even recognition form our cultural « elites ». Just like the workers who survive with miserable pensions after working for big building companies, the very first defenders of French hip-hop have a hard time paying their rents. If this comparison appears disturbing, it however reveals a certain frame of mind. Thanks to all our trips, and namely in the UK, we have realized how much the “French flavour” is acknowledged there, how much it is expected and respected. No art director ever told us to adopt some other discipline codes in order to stick to his own vision of dance, forgetting that each art has its own roots and that its form is thus an expression of them. The fact that French dancers are more acknowledged abroad is revealing of a society that fears curiously this movement and their defenders. The misleading analysis of what hip-hop is does nothing but reinforce a financial disposal to its disadvantage. It turns out that the squabbles and polemics between hip-hop crews and artists are very little compared with this real battle for recognition and legitimacy…As a conclusion, here is a quote of the early 20th century painter, sculptor and visual artist Jean Dubuffet, to all the show-business and culture decision-makers and schedulers:" Art doesn't go to sleep in the bed made for it; it would sooner run away than say its own name: what it likes is to be incognito. Its best moments are when it forgets what its own name is ".